Kiribati is the furthest east country in District 9920, covering 3.5 million square kilometres of sea, with 22 atolls, one coral island and around 120,000 people, half of whom live on the main island of Tarawa.  Kiribati is recognised as one of the most environmentally threatened countries in the world and one of the poorest in the Pacific.

 

Rotary has had a presence in Kiribati previously, on the islands of Tarawa and Kiritimati.  Unfortunately both clubs closed around 2016 due to lack of local members to support clubs.  The need for Rotary, however, remains as strong as ever. 

 

In 2018 District 9920 received a request to support a global grant to introduce hydroponics into Kiribati.  Like most of the Pacific, type 2 diabetes is of epidemic proportions.  It is almost impossible to grow fresh vegetables and row crops.  The limited fruits on the island are coconuts, breadfruit and other native fruits.  Fish is gathered at low tide but with no sanitation facilities it is often contaminated (human waste goes directly into the ocean).  Most food is imported - processed food such as white rice, canned meats, with little fruit or vegetables available for impoverished families.

 

In 2018,  DG for 2018-19 Ingrid Waugh and PDG Jennie Herring visited Kiribati twice.  Firstly in May to investigate forming a Rotary Community Corps (RCC) so that some of the local people could assist their community at no cost and again in October, to officially charter that South Tarawa RCC (with more than 20 members) and see if we could establish a Rotary Club in Tarawa.  The interest meeting had more than 25 people along and 7 signed up on the night.  As good fortune would have it, a Rotarian from Victoria Australia, Ruth Cross, was planning to return to live on Tarawa.  Once she arrived on the island early in 2019, Ruth swung into action and the new Rotary Club of Tarawa was officially registered on 30 June 2019. 

 

 

On 6 November 2019, the official charter event for the Rotary Club of Tarawa was held at the Lagoon Club in the middle of the island. Almost all of the 24 members of the club were present to receive their Charter certificate and for President Ruth to receive the chains of office from Tania Thomas, the President of the sponsoring Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Otahuhu in Auckland.  The event was attended by Mr Taoaba Kaiea, Minster of Women, Youth and Sport, and the High Commissioners for New Zealand and Australia.  Representatives of the local community were also present and we were entertained by traditional dancers from the area of Betio, in the west of the atoll.  District 9920 was well represented by Governor 2019-20 Gary Langford, IPDG Ingrid Waugh, PDG Jennie Herring, District International Chair Jeanette Drysdale and President of Otahuhu Rotary Club Tania Thomas.

 

The event was extremely well organised, included a few speeches as well as certificate and Rotary pin presentations.  A specially designed club banner was presented by PDG Jennie Herring.  The culmination was a delicious meal, including a suckling pig.

 

During their visit the NZ group had an evening of training, attended by more than half the Rotary club members, at the lovely location of Rotarian Dreamer’s Guest House.  And the next evening attended a meeting of the South Tarawa Rotary Community Corps and heard about the projects they are doing, including cleaning up the beaches in their community.

 

They also visited several other organisations supported by Rotary:

 SPECIAL SCHOOL

 

There is such a need in Kiribati for what Rotary can do.  Our district will continue to support the club in their projects.  If your club wants to get involved, please contact President Ruth directly (neiruth.cross@gmail.com) or contact PDG Ingrid Waugh at ingrid_waugh@rotaryoceania.zone, or 0274298507.